


The Hunt

by Theoroark



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, First Meetings, Minor Violence, Pharmercy Week 2018, Small Towns, cryptid hunter au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-23
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-07-01 13:06:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15774711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theoroark/pseuds/Theoroark
Summary: When a rare opportunity presents itself to Fareeha and Jesse, they decide to bring Angela into their business. Even if their business is a bit unconventional.





	The Hunt

Jesse McCree’s diner was on the far edge of town, on the interstate. So he got all kinds coming there. In particular, the diner’s neon retro design seemed to attract tourists making their way to Yellowstone. They sat in boothes and wrinkled their noses at the lack of low-calorie options on the menu, or sat at the counter and read Jesse’s “PAPA BEAR” t shirt and earnestly asked him how many kids his had. He always answered on a scale of one to ten and that number indicated exactly how done he was that day. 

 

But Jesse made the best hash browns Fareeha had ever tasted, and moreover, they had business to discuss. So after work, she parked in the diner’s gravel lot and made her way to her usual seat at the counter. 

 

“Genji agreed to close tonight,” Jesse told her as he refilled her coffee. He nodded at the man with green hair who rolled past him, and Genji gave the both of them a smile as he wheeled down the ramp behind the counter and onto the restaurant floor. “So I should be able to meet you at ten at the latest.”

 

“Good,” Fareeha said. She took a sip. “The Lindholms are still away visiting their daughter. Reinhardt is housesitting, but I don’t think he’ll hear us. We should be in the clear.”

 

“Good.” Jesse leaned against the counter and lowered his voice. Fareeha pushed up the sleeves of her flannel shirt and leaned in to hear him. “Wilhelm’s always been more amenable to our work anyway.”

 

“Good old coot.” Jesse snorted in agreement. He turned to the kitchen counter and came back with her breakfast platter. 

 

“See you tonight,” he said, as he headed off to deal with other customers. “Bring the shotgun.”

 

-

 

Fareeha’s pickup bounced over some particularly hard root and she winced. During the busy season, the truck did time at the timber yard she managed. She knew it was durable. But the prospect of it breaking down and her having to explain why exactly she and Jesse were off trail in the dead of night with firearms and a giant tarp was deeply unpleasant.

 

“We’re close,” Jesse said. “We can walk the rest of the way there, if you want.” Fareeha breathed a sigh of relief, cut the engine, and hopped out of the car. 

 

“Just don’t let us get lost,” she told Jesse.

 

“Well, we’re parked between the medium sized tree and the kind of small tree. That shouldn’t be too hard to remember.” Fareeha shoved him as she walked past. She grabbed the tarp out of the back of the truck and followed Jesse towards the dim lights of the farm.

 

The spring showers had just started and the earth beneath their feet was soft but not yet sodden. The branches above them were budding but not yet obscuring the night sky. The Lindholm’s farm was an unearthly silent.

 

“It’s already been here,” Fareeha said. Jesse swore under his breath.

 

“I swear to God, Fareeha, I thought we had it. I thought we had gotten it’s patterns down. Every time I think I know this thing, it– what are you doing?” he asked, staring at Fareeha as she clambered over the fence.

 

“This is the first time we’ve been able to get into Lindholm’s farm,” she told him from the other side. “We might not be able to get it. But we could get something to work on.” Jesse nodded.

 

“I’ll keep watch.”

 

Fareeha walked through the field carefully, keeping one eye on the house in the distance. There were no creatures in the pasture, not an unheard of occurence. But the complete silence in the barn was, especially as the sound of her footsteps traveled through the night air. As she grew closer to the barn, she saw a lumpen shape on the ground, and crouched next to it when she was near.

 

It was a goat carcass. It was still warm to the touch, but there was no blood pooled around it. Fareeha pulled out her penlight and searched, heart beating fast. She found it on the spine. Three small holes. She laid out the tarp, rolled the goat up in it, and carried it back to Jesse.

 

“Nice work,” he said. 

 

“But what’re we gonna do with it?”

 

“Take it to an expert.” Fareeha arched an eyebrow. “Well, the closest thing to an expert we got.”

 

-

 

Wildlife veterinarians rarely did private consultations. But Dr. Ziegler and Jesse had known each other since elementary school and so she was willing to make an exception for him, even when that exception involved him bringing a large object to her office in a tarp.

 

“Thank God,” she breathed when Fareeha unrolled the tarp to reveal the goat. Fareeha laughed and Dr. Ziegler smiled at her. “I thought you had gotten into real trouble this time, Jesse.”

 

“Nah,” Jesse said. “Just the regular kind.” He rocked back and forth on his heels. “So. What’re you thinkin’ did this?”

 

“Give me a moment,” Dr. Ziegler murmured, snapping on latex gloves. She bent over the body and Fareeha, feeling quite awkward just standing there with the vet was so focused on her work, joined Jesse in the corner.

 

“Told ya,” Jesse whispered to her. “She’s a good friend.”

 

“I never doubted you,” Fareeha whispered back, a bit louder, just in case Dr. Ziegler had heard them.

 

If she had, she gave no sign of it. She didn’t speak until she had examined every inch of the goat painstakingly. Then, she righted herself, and Fareeha could see her creased forehead and troubled expression.

 

“Well?” Jesse prompted.

 

“It’s not a dog, or a bear, or anything like that,” Angela said slowly. “The… draining… would suggest leeches, but there aren’t leech bite marks, and even if some escaped a lab or something, they wouldn’t have been able to make it out to the Lindholms’.” She peeled the gloves off and threw them away. “I don’t know, Jesse. Is this some sick prank some kids are pulling?”

 

“Something like that,” Jesse said. He walked over to the table and nodded at the goat. “That bite mark there. Think you can tell how big a thing did it, based off that mark?”

 

“I– maybe around the size of a black bear, if it was an animal, but Jesse, hang on.” Dr. Ziegler grabbed his shoulders. “Is this a cult or something? Do I need to call the police?”

 

“I can handle it, Angela.”

 

“That’s not an answer, Jesse, what’s going on?”

 

“Angela, I am telling you, do not worry about it.”

 

“It’s a monster,” Fareeha said from the corner. Both Jesse and Dr. Ziegler stopped and turned to her, eyes wide. “We’re going after a monster. And we think this is el chupacabra.”

 

There was a moment of stunned silence. Then, Dr. Ziegler repeated vacantly, “El chupacabra.”

 

Jesse looked between the two of them. “Fareeha, what are you doing–” 

 

“She wasn’t going to let it go,” Fareeha said with a shrug. “And she could help us.”

 

“Help us how?”

 

“Yes,” Dr. Ziegler said, her eyes snapping back into focus. “Help you how?”

 

“Dr. Ziegler, you’ve worked with animal control to subdue rogue bears and such before, haven’t you?”

 

“Call me Angela,” she said. Fareeha nodded and tried not to read too much into that. “And yes. Why?”

 

“And you have tranquilizer guns for that purpose, don’t you?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Well,” Fareeha said, turning to Jesse. “Haven’t we always talked about trying to bring one of these in alive?”

 

-

 

“I’m surprised you bought into this so quick,” Fareeha said that night. In the passenger seat of the truck, Angela shrugged. Jesse had called shotgun but Fareeha had shoved him in the bed of the truck. He would sulk. She would deal with that later.

 

“Jesse’s always been a bit… mysterious. That makes him sound too glamorous,” Angela amended, and Fareeha grinned and nodded in agreement. “But you know what I mean. He’d come to me with injuries sometimes and never wanted to go to the hospital. And I mean,” she shifted in her seat. “No one ever found out what happened to Sheriff Reyes. And Jesse was never the same after that. So you telling me something weird’s going on… it’s not exactly news.”

 

Fareeha swallowed. “Yeah.” Angela craned her neck around and looked in the trunk, where Jesse sat next to the tarp, her tranquilizer gun, and the shotgun.

 

“That’s Reyes’s gun, isn’t it?” she asked. Fareeha nodded. “Do you know what happened to him?”

 

“No,” Fareeha said. Angela turned back around and studied her for a moment, then faced forward again.

 

“I’m sorry,” she said.

 

Fareeha opened her mouth to speak and then Jesse banged on the dividing window. Fareeha jumped in her seat, slammed on the breaks, and swore.

 

“Think this is a good spot,” Jesse yelled through the glass.

 

“Great,” Fareeha muttered, as she climbed out of the truck. “Thanks for that.”

 

They were on the hill overlooking the Lindholm farm, still hidden by the forest but in sight of the barns, somewhat more alive this night. Jesse handed Fareeha her shotgun and Angela coughed. They both turned to her.

 

“What?” Jesse asked.

 

“I thought we were just subduing it,” she said pointedly. Jesse rolled his eyes. 

 

“Angela, it’s a monster–”

 

“And I’m a good shot with this.” Angela held up the tranquilizer gun. “Having a gun at the ready will only cause trouble.”

 

Fareeha handed the shotgun back to him. “It’s fine, Jesse,” she said, when he stared at her dubiously. He rolled his eyes again.

 

“It’s your funeral.” He walked around the truck, and tossed the shotgun through the open driver’s window. His thumbs were in his belt loops, practically flashing his holstered pistol at Angela. “I’m headin’ to check out the barn. See if it’s already made its rounds.”

 

“We’ll be here,” Fareeha said, and Jesse held up a hand in confirmation as he headed down the hill. She watched him hop the fence, and then climbed up on the hood of the car and patted the space next to her. Angela smiled and hopped up next to her.”

 

“I am sorry,” Angela said once she had gotten settled. Fareeha frowned in confusion. “About Reyes.” Fareeha’s face turned neutral, fast, and she nodded. Angela cleared her throat. “I know you two were close.”

 

“Not really,” Fareeha said. “He was an old Marine friend of my mom’s. He heard I was having trouble finding a job, made some calls. I owe him and all, but you know. He wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for my mom or if I wasn’t military.”

 

“Oh. That’s right.” Angela fiddled with her shoelace as Fareeha stared straight ahead. “Is it… difficult?” she asked after a moment.

 

“Is what difficult?”

 

“Being here after all that. Especially doing this.”

 

Fareeha looked over at Angela. She was chewing her lip and her eyes were wide and earnest. Fareeha sighed and leaned back on the windscreen. “Not really,” she said. “I was an army brat, I lived most everywhere. I can make anywhere livable. And it’s not a bad town. I like the outdoors. And this, the– we call it hunting– honestly, it helps?”

 

“How does it help?” Angela asked. 

 

“Because– I don’t know, Angela.” Fareeha ran her fingers through her hair. “I don’t have anything new or deep to say about serving. I don’t regret it. But there are parts that– people try to rationalize it, but nothing changes how bad it got sometimes. Nothing they told us changed the fact that we were always fighting people, not monsters. And they tried, Angela, God did they try. I can’t even really blame them for trying. But it never worked.” Fareeha brought her knees up to her chin. Angela had not taken her eyes off her. “So it kind of feels good, fighting actual monsters. Kind of takes the edge off feeling like a complete dupe, I guess.”

 

“I don’t think you’re a dupe,” Angela said softly. Fareeha snorted. 

 

“Well. Thanks, I guess. But anyway. That’s why I don’t mind it.” Angela’s eyes suddenly widened and Fareeha frowned. “I mean– it’s not that I love violence or killing or whatever, it’s just–”

 

“Fareeha,” Angela whispered. “Turn around very. Slowly.” Fareeha did, and so she heard the unearthly growl before she saw its source. Making its way up the hill was a dog, but it was too big to be a dog, and dogs didn’t have tall trails of spines down their backs. Its long canines and red eyes glinted in the moonlight. It was staring straight at them. 

 

“Angela,” Fareeha hissed. “Now.” There was a quick movement in the corner of her eye, a pop, and then a dart was sticking out of the creature’s neck. It stopped for a moment. Then, it twisted its head around, as if to find the place of impact. And then, sickeningly, it continued its approach, not slowed in the least. Angela fired another shot. It barely even flinched.

 

“Angela,” Fareeha whispered. Her heart was racing but she spoke clearly and calmly. “Get in the truck. Now.”

 

“Fareeha, I’m not–” 

 

“Angela I have done this before.” Her tone was still steady but now it was harder. “You have not. I know what to do. Don’t be stupid. Get. In. The. Car.”

 

Angela slowly slid off the roof. She tried to use Fareeha as cover, but the red eyes still flashed at the movement, and the creature growled. Its pace increased. Fareeha pulled her silver knife out her belt and braced herself.

 

Then, she heard a massive crack, and the creature reeled back. Fareeha spun and saw Angela holding the shotgun. “Fareeha!” Angela yelled, and she fired again, and when Fareeha turned back to see if she had hit her mark she saw the monster lunging forward.

 

Then she saw a blur of gray hoodie and sensible jeans and heard a surprised yelp. She rolled off the hood of the truck and ran to where the monster was thrashing, bleeding profusely, Angela frantically holding it down. Fareeha buried her knife in its neck. It seized one more time, then stilled. Fareeha watched its eyes glass over. Once she was sure it was dead, she rolled down and fell to the forest floor. She stared up at the canopy and listened as Angela scrambled to her feet.

 

“Fareeha,” Angela said urgently. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? What– what’s going on?” She stared down in confusion as Fareeha’s chest shook with laughter.

 

“You saved my life,” Fareeha said, between gasps. “You saved my life by fucking body slamming el chupacabra.” Angela looked away, a small smile on her lips. 

 

“Well. When you put it that way–”

 

“Fareeha! Angela!” Fareeha pushed herself up and saw Jesse running up the hill and into view. “I heard shots, what–” His words died as he saw the body lying next to Fareeha. Fareeha gestured to it.

 

“I like your friend,” she told him.

 

-

 

When they got to the diner, Genji was mopping the floor. He looked at the three of them– dirty, disheveled, and perhaps a bit too bloody for polite society– and sighed. 

 

“You’re not here to help me close, are you?” he asked. Jesse walked past him, around the counter, and waved a hand.

 

“Go on home, Genji. I’ll take care of things.” Genji raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue, and wheeled out before Jesse could change his mind. Fareeha and Angela sat down at the counter and Jesse looked them over.

 

“I’m makin’ us pancakes,” he announced. “Give me five minutes.” The two women watched him disappear into the kitchen, turned to each other, and started to giggle.

 

“Holy shit,” Angela whispered. “Holy shit.”

 

“I know, right?”

 

“We just killed el chupacabra!”

 

“ _ I know, right?! _ ”

 

“Holy shit.” Angela ran a hand down her face. “If you had told me this morning that this is how today would end– there is nothing you could have done to make me believe you.”

 

“Well, I’m glad you were there,” Fareeha said. Her laughter died and her expression became more serious. “I was kind of keyed up there, so I didn’t do it properly, but– thank you, Angela. You saved my life.”

 

Angela looked down at the counter. “You saved mine too.”

 

“Not really.” 

 

“Yes really.” Fareeha shook her head and Angela placed a hand on her forearm. “I wouldn’t have been able to get the gun if you hadn’t covered for me, Fareeha. Protecting isn’t all shooting and tackling. You saved me. Thank you.”

 

Fareeha rubbed her neck, flustered. “Well, still. For someone without any experience, you’re pretty good the shooting and tackling stuff.” Angela grinned and Fareeha was surprised to see a bit of blush creep onto her cheeks. “And no matter what you say, I owe you.”

 

“Well,” Angela said. “I could keep arguing with you about that. But if you really feel like you owe me, tell you what. You can take me out for a drink to pay me back.”

 

Fareeha stared at her for a moment, a touch stunned and also very aware Angela’s hand had not left her arm. Then, she broke into a wide smile. Angela smiled back. “It’s a date,” Fareeha said, as Jesse came through the kitchen door with his arms full of pancakes. 

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by TAZ Amnesty and [this post.](http://toomanyfeelings.tumblr.com/post/175504556633/dystopianscty-d-i-n-e-r-i-love-how-this-diner)
> 
> I'm @tacticalgrandma on tumblr/twitter if you want to talk to me there.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and any comments/kudos would mean the world to me!


End file.
